The perfect gift a Christmas story
by Welshwitch
Summary: Scrooge in a different way


The perfect gift - a Christmas carol  
  
  
  
December 24th, early afternoon, McCall entered the precinct her arms loaded with shopping bags. "Did some last minute Christmas spending did you?" Hunter wanted to know. "Yes I did and loving every minute of it," McCall replied. "What did you get me this year?" "Nothing you should be worried about Big Guy." she smiled. "Hmmm, so you are going to your parents tonight." "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. How about you." "My sister Erin and her husband took my mom skiing someplace, so no family get together for me this year." he said pitifully. "You could come with me, you know my mom would like that," McCall said hopefully. "No, I'll just stay home and watch some TV." "Suit yourself then," she said with a rejected look on her face. "How about coming over tomorrow then?" she asked, "I think I'm going to spend tomorrow here, finishing some paperwork." "Hunter, are you serious???" "Yes" he said somewhat irritated "I'm not in the Christmas mood." McCall just couldn't believe what she was hearing "You're such a scrooge, you know."  
  
At around five McCall decided to call it a day, "I'm going home now, see you in two days," she said dryly. Hunter didn't even look up when he said "Bye" to her. She just couldn't understand why he was so anti Christmas. At six the office was empty except for Hunter doing his paperwork, he decided to order some food so he could work on. After an hour or so he started to get sleepy and before he knew it he lay sleeping with his head on a pile of files. "So Mr. Hunter," a voice said to him "Shouldn't you be somewhere else then at work." The voice woke Hunter up and when he raised his head he looked straight into a man's face. "Who are you and how did you get in here," he said. "That doesn't matter. I'm here to bring you a message," "From who?" "You shouldn't ask so much," the man said "Listen, at midnight tonight three special agents will visit you and show you the true meaning of Christmas." "What!" "You better cooperate or else." "Hey wait a minute," Hunter said but the man had gone. "I must be dreaming," Hunter said to himself as he looked at the clock, it was five to twelve.  
  
At midnight Hunter heard the elevator come up, the door opened and a person came out. "Sporty??" he said. "No way man, I'm the special agent of Christmas past. I'm supposed to show you past Christmases. So come on, I haven't got all night." Before Hunter could say anything he was grabbed by the arm and dragged out of his chair. Their first stop was the old Hunter household. Looking through the window he could see the tree, the fireplace with a fire burning and all the decorations. "Remember this, you can see and hear everything, but they don't know you're there." They entered the house. The smell of roast filled their noses. "Hmmm, nice. That mom of yours sure knows how to make a roast." Sporty said. "Yeah she sure does," Hunter replied.  
  
The Hunter family was gathered around the radio for a special Christmas program except one, Rick. His mom stood beneath the stairs shouting up; "Rick, honey come down, dinner is almost ready and the Christmas songs are on." "I'll be down in a minute mom." they heard a voice coming from upstairs. "Richard Hunter you heard your mother, come down this instant." his father yelled. "Yes dad." "You didn't care much for Christmas back then either did you." "No, I really hated those carols on the radio. We all had to sing along just to mom happy." "Hmm, I'll take you a bit later in time."  
  
Same house, same time of year, only years later during the Vietnam War. "How did you do that?" Hunter wanted to know. "Shut up and watch will you."  
  
The phone rings, mom picks it up, "Hello, oh hi. No, I haven't heard anything. Yes ok, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Erin comes running down the stairs, "Was that him?" "No dear, It wasn't," mom said and went back to the kitchen. "She was worried about you, ya know." Sporty said to Hunter. "I called a view days later, we were on a mission. I couldn't call from the middle of nowhere." Sporty looked at him with a 'oh yeah right' look. "Ok, I forgot." "You forgot to call home for Christmas, how insensitive! Let's go to last years Christmas."  
  
Before he could say a word Hunter was standing in the office with all his colleagues having a party. "Not attending huh." Sporty said, "No" was the only thing Hunter replied. "Where's your partner?" Charlie asked McCall, "I don't know, I went by his house to pick him up but he wasn't there." "I was home," Hunter confessed "I just didn't answer the door. Sporty just waved his finger at him. "Well my job is done. I hope you actually learned something, Merry Christmas." Sporty said and disappeared leaving Hunter standing in front of a house he knew all to well.  
  
Hunter was heading towards the door as is eye caught something walking by the window. When he looked through it he saw McCall sitting on the sofa in a beautiful evening dress clutching a photo album and sobbing. "It hurts seeing her like that doesn't it," a familiar voice said behind him. Hunter turned around and looked Charlie in the face. "Charlie?" "No, I'm the special agent of Christmas present." he said. "And you are gonna show me Christmas like it is now." Hunter interrupted. "Yes, I am. Shall we go in? And remember, she won't know we are there." McCall was sitting on the sofa looking through a photo album of her and Steve. Hunter could see she was miserable. "She does this every year you know." Charlie said. "But she told me she was going to spend the evening at her mom's." Hunter replied. "She did, but like every year she left early and does this. You are not the only one having a hard time at Christmas." Hunter kneeled down next to her, "She never told me, we always tell each other everything. But this." At that moment all he wanted was to take her in his arms and tell her it was going to be ok. "How can I help her, she means the world to me." "You care about her, you'll figure it out. It's time to move on now." As they walked out the door Hunter looked at her, brushing back his tears.  
  
As he wiped his eyes he found himself in a hotel room seeing his mom and Erin talk. "Do you think he'll call?" Erin asked her mom. "I don't know, I left him the number of the hotel." she replied, "But you know Rick, he'll probably forget, wrapped up in his work as he is." Erin sighed, "When will he ever understand." "I know dear, I just don't know what it is about this time of year that he doesn't like and rather disappears for two days." Hunter thought about it for a moment and turned to Charlie, "Probably all the looking back and the 'do you remember this' stories." "Think about it," Charlie said, "There's more to Christmas that meets the eye." And as sudden as he came, he disappeared leaving a puzzled Hunter standing outside.his own house.  
  
Hunter went inside and spotted a figure sitting on his sofa, "Hello, who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked. The figure rose from the sofa and turned around to face him, he was shocked. In front of him stood the only person he had ever cared for, besides McCall, Allegra Bryant. In a deep, dark voice she said; " Hello Rick, I'm the special agent of Christmas future." "Allegra" was the only thing Hunter could say. "Come with me and I'll show you Christmas in the future," she said as she reached out her hand, Hunter took it and in a flash they were standing outside the precinct. There was a reunion party going on and a lot of noise came from inside the building. Everyone was there, O'Hern and Navarro still happily married, Novak and her husband, McCall alone and even Charlie. One person was not there.Hunter.  
  
Kitty was talking to McCall, "Isn't Rick coming?" "I don't know, I haven't seen him in years. After we retired we kinda lost contact." "Oh, you two were so close." "Yeah, well things happened. And you know how he hates this time of year." " I remember, I never understood." "Neither did I." "I'm not at a reunion? I always go." Hunter said as he turned to Allegra. "Well this one you didn't go to." was the only thing she said. "Where was I?" "Patience Rick, patience. Come we are going." As they were walking out of the building she said to him," She always waited for you, you know." "Who?" "DeeDee" Hunter stopped and looked at her puzzled. "She waited for me to do what?" "To love her"  
  
They went to Erin's house but just as Allegra wanted to take him in he stopped her. "I think what's going to be next, I was never heard from right?" "Right" "I think I'm starting to see a pattern here Allegra." Hunter said. "Good Rick, you learn fast but there is one more thing I need to show you." She took him to his own house. It looked to be in a bad state, bits of paint coming off, and wood rotting here and there. "Oh, who ever is living here now isn't taking care of the place." he said. "The person living here isn't taking care of anything anymore," Allegra said "Not even himself." She took him inside, they were watching a figure sitting in front of the TV watching sports. Hunter walked around the chair to see who was sitting there and was shocked, he was looking at himself. He looked at Allegra, "Is this really my future?" "Yes it is." she said, her voice sounding dark and sinister. Hunter just stood there looking at himself and Allegra, not believing that this was his future.  
  
"Ping" the sound of the elevator coming up woke Hunter; he looked around and found himself back at the office. The elevator doors opened and Charlie walked in, "Hunter, what are you still doing here? It's Christmas day for pete's sake." "I had the strangest dream. Three special agents came and showed me Christmas past, present and future, really weird." Hunter replied. "I gotta go take care of something, see you later Charlie. Oh and Merry Christmas." "Thanks Hunter," Charlie said as he watched him leave.  
  
Hunter got into his car and drove to the nearest jewelry store he could find, of course it was closed due to Christmas. He banged on the door until the owner showed behind the door, "What do you want, we're closed" "Police open up" Hunter said as he flashed his badge. The man opened the door and let him in, when he was inside Hunter recognized the man. It was the same man who came and told him about the special agents. "I was expecting you Sgt." he said, "I have just what you are looking for." He opened one of the glass cabinets and took out a beautiful ring. "She must be really special," he said while he was wrapping it. "She is," Hunter said softly, "Thank you and Merry Christmas," he said when he left. "Merry Christmas to you too," said the shopkeeper smiling. After Hunter made a stop at his house to call his mom and sister and wish them a Merry Christmas, he drove to McCall's house. Her car was in the driveway so he knew she was home. He let himself in and saw her lying curled up on the sofa asleep still holding on to the photo album. He kneeled beside her and gently removed her hair from her face waking her up, "Hunter?" she said, "What are you doing here?" Her eyes were still swollen and red from crying. He told her the story about the three special agents and how they showed him what Christmas was, is and could be. "It got me thinking, Christmas is not about those carols I hated when I was a kid and about the horrific dinners with family you normally never see. It's about sharing with the people you love. So I want you to have this." he handed her a little box. She opened it and inside was a key, "What's this?" "The key" "The key to what?" "The key to my heart," Hunter said. "Before you say anything listen to me, I know I hurt you yesterday and I'm sorry." he took a deep breath, took her hands and continued. " DeeDee I love you and I want to spend every Christmas with you from now on." He gave her the second little box, she opened it with shaking hands, tears started to well in her eyes. "Oh Rick, It's beautiful," she whispered, "I love you too, I have for so long." He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a while. Then he took her head I his hands and they kissed. "Merry Christmas DeeDee," "Merry Christmas Rick." 


End file.
